You are the Sword at My Side
by IraOphelia
Summary: Chrom and his trusted tactician, Ophelia, have recently become secretly engaged. However, they do not wish to jeopardize their working relationship or draw the attention of the rest of the Shepherds and the army they lead. Sounds easy enough, right? Nothing is ever that simple. Avatar/Chrom (Doesn't follow main story, rather, a view into the Shepherd's daily life.)
1. The Secret I Cherish

Hey readers, I'll update this every so often. It's already completed so it won't take long. All comments are appreciated! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ophelia**

I was on the edge of consciousness, drifting between reality and a pleasant dream. The morning light became brighter around me and I began to awake. I felt a tingling sensation on my feet. I wiggled my toes, but the feeling persisted. I suddenly felt something touching my feet, and it felt _alive_. I came to in an instant.

"EEEK!" I shrieked and furiously kicked my legs. My foot connected with something solid as I rolled away. Tumbling off my bed, I pulled the comforter with me and hid behind it.

"Ow! Gods Ophelia!" I peeked around the blanket and felt a wave of relief. Chrom, the leader of the Shepherds, straightened up from dodging my feet. I threw my blanket back on my bed and flattened my nightgown.

"Chrom, uh, what are doing in my tent? Rather, why are you in my tent tickling my feet?" I cocked an eyebrow and crossed my arms. Chrom had his hand clasped over his nose. He leaned his head back and peered down at me.

"I, ow, just wanted to wake you up," Chrom replied," You gave me a bloody nose, by the way."

"I'm sorry Chrom," I smiled sympathetically. I rifled through my belongings until I found a soft handkerchief. I offered him the cloth, but he stubbornly shook his head even though small drips of blood were sliding down his face. I blotted the blood off Chrom's lower lip, "You really shouldn't be in here."

"I know," Chrom said, grunting in pain again. I shook my head at his attempt to seem unaffected by his nosebleed.

"Did anyone see you? What will everyone think?" I pulled Chrom onto my bed to get a better view of his nose. I pulled his hand away and inspected his charming features, "Well, it doesn't look broken."

"I wasn't looking, I just came over. I don't care if anyone knows what I'm doing." Chrom glanced at me and smiled. He grabbed the handkerchief from me and went back to staunching the flow of blood. I furrowed my brow at his breezy attitude. I got up and uncovered a few more handkerchiefs just in case. I decided against arguing with him about his carelessness, but he still made me worried. We were supposed to be keeping our relationship a secret, but if either of us were too cavalier with our actions, I knew someone would see through our ruse.

"How does it feel?" I returned to his side. Chrom pulled the handkerchief away and wiggled his nose.

"It's fine," He shrugged. He handed me the cloth handkerchief.

"It looks like the bleeding stopped," I said sanguinely. I dabbed a loose droplet of blood from Chrom's chin. Chrom caught my hand and kissed the tips of my fingers. I my cheeks grew rosy and I glanced defensively around my empty tent.

"Chrom, Frederick will be looking for us." I pulled my hand away. My fingers tingled excitedly. Chrom looked crestfallen, but he nodded in agreement.

"You're right," Chrom said disappointedly, "You'll eat breakfast with me after training, won't you?" Chrom's blazing blue eyes stared straight into mine. I smiled lightly, and nodded. Chrom brightened instantly. He stood, and a mischievous glint came into his eyes. He grabbed my waist and twirled me through the air.

"Chrom!" I squeaked between giggles. Chrom laughed in reply. He sat me down and planted a kiss on my forehead before leaving, still laughing happily. I could not fight the blush that had over taken my face, but I had to fight the urge to indulge in too many secret moments with Chrom. A couple in a secret engagement could not risk being caught so easily. I instantly stopped smiling at the thought. Sometimes, though, we have to make sacrifices. However, every day it was becoming harder to draw the line distinctly between Chrom and me. I did not even know if we had truly moved from general and tactician to lovers, or whether or not the shift was obvious to an onlooker. I let out a tortured sigh and fell onto my bed.

This morning was the simulated battle in training. The Shepherds had been divided into two teams, Offense and Defense. Chrom and I had ended up on opposite sides. My team, Defense, was positioned throughout the woods to lay in wait for Offense to attack. I was trying my hardest to keep my senses alert, but my mind wandered constantly to Chrom. As I hard as I tried, I could not tell if anyone had seen Chrom enter my tent. My mind would not rest until I discovered if anyone had witnessed it. I was deep in thought when two hands curled around my waist.

"Aaaaeeeahhh!" My shriek was so loud it scared a few birds from the tree above me. My tome flew through the air and landed in a small shrub.

"Woo, you're pretty edgy today." Chrom breathed in my ear.

"Ugh, Chrom!" I growled, "What are you doing? We're supposed to be training." I wiggled a bit, but Chrom had a firm grip on me.

"Oh nothing," I could tell Chrom was grinning, "You're already the best tactician I know, you don't need any practice. Anyway, Offense isn't even coming this way." Chrom pulled me even closer to him.

"Let's be serious for a moment," I urged as Chrom sprinkled light kisses on my neck. It took all of my self-control to pull away from him. I turned to him, and tried to calm my breathing.

"No one is over here," Chrom pouted. His hands pulled at my elbows and gently stroked my wrists.

_ So much for our ever diligent Prince,_ I thought, and then I said aloud, "But someone will be here. Didn't you hear my scream? No one screams like that in practice. If Frederick hasn't had a heart attack, he will be racing over here."

"I don't get you sometimes Ophelia. I thought I was the serious one," Chrom moved in closer; our noses were almost touching, "What's the harm of one…little…kiss?" Chrom's lips hovered over mine, so close that I could almost taste him. My eyes almost fluttered shut and my resolve drained away; I knew I could not resist him much longer. The forest began to rumble and intensified my shaking knees. With the sound of cracking wood, Frederick's form flew from the tree line. My heart leapt into my throat and, without a thought, I shoved Chrom away with all my might. Chrom fell to the ground; he was confused and had yet to realize what was happening.

"What's wrong? Is everyone all right?" Frederick dismounted his horse in a flash and rushed over to Chrom. Chrom blinked up at his Ylissean knight and began to register the magnitude of the situation.

"You didn't scream, did you milord?"

"W-what? Of course it wasn't me! It was her!" Chrom gestured resolutely at me. His face was flushed from obvious embarrassment.

"Then why are you on the ground, milord?" Frederick asked; his voice was more concerned than mocking. I stayed silent and tried to compose myself from my close encounter with Chrom.

"Ophelia had a bug in her hair. She got a little distressed when I removed it." Chrom explained. Frederick tried to stifle his laughter and he offered Chrom his hand.

"I see," Frederick's voice almost dissolved into laughter. Chrom scowled at him and reluctantly accepted Frederick's hand, "Well back to defense, right Ophelia?"

"Gah, yep!" I jumped at his voice and I saluted him earnestly. Frederick gave me a slightly puzzled look before he climbed onto his horse and disappeared back into the forest. I let out an exasperated sigh and ran my fingers through my hair. I shot Chrom a weak look.

"That was close, eh?" Chrom asked; he came over and brushed a strand of hair from my eyes.

"Close?" I peeped, "I've been on numerous battlefields, but that is the most terrified I have been in my life." I placed my hands over my heart. Chrom smiled at me; I was getting slightly irritated with his constant insouciance.

"The thrill is the best part." Chrom teased. I gave Chrom a fiery look. He shrugged his shoulders, "Even if Frederick found out, and he won't I assure you, I know he would take our secret to the grave. There is no need for all this anxiety." Chrom gently squeezed my shoulder. I frowned; I refused to be soothed. I could still hear my heart thumping in my ears.

"I need some tea and a large pastry." I said. I turned and headed back to camp. I placed my shivering hand on my fiery hot cheek.

"Wait! What about this training battle?" Chrom called. I peered over my shoulder and winked.

"Didn't you say I was the best tactician you have ever met?" I smiled deviously and continued away. Chrom laughed and nodded. He glanced down and scraped the toe of his boot in the dirt.

"Save me a seat?" Chrom asked.

"Of course!" I waved over my shoulder. As I passed by, I pulled my tome out of the bush.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

_I do not own Fire Emblem_


	2. Overthinking Ruins Us All

Chapter 2: Ophelia

I regained my composure after eating two raspberry pastries and downing a cup of tea. It was also comforting sitting in the deserted dining tent without a _certain distraction_. When practice ended, the Shepherds poured into the dining tent, eager to eat breakfast. Lissa waved to me and slid onto the bench in front of me.

"Here you are!" Lissa smiled at me, "Sully and Frederick are pretty angry that you left practice early."

"Well… They'll live." I said. Lissa giggled and dug into her breakfast. In moments, the tent was loud and the benches were full of hungry people. Over the din, an angry voice called:

"OPHELIA!" I glanced up and the met the menacing eyes of Sully. A chill went down my spine; if Sully's eyes could kill I would have been dead.

"There's no damn way you're getting away with skipping practice! Be prepared for hell!" Sully bellowed. Poor Libra received the brunt of her anger and was almost impaled by Sully's fork. I slid down a little bit in my seat and laughed nervously, _If only she was kidding…_

"Found you." I turned to see Chrom balancing three plates in his hands. I gestured to his place between Stahl and me and helped him get his plates safely to the table.

"Oh, hello," I said. I sat up a little bit straighter and tried not look too eager to see him.

"Thanks for saving me a seat." Chrom smiled dashingly. I nodded as my insides melted. Stahl caught Chrom's attention and they started discussing practice. I relaxed a bit and Lissa started to tell me about her day so far. I smiled and tried to pay attention. However, I was preoccupied by my heightened awareness of Chrom's presence: Like the way our shoulders bumped together or how our legs were practically touching.

"Ophelia?" I awoke from my reverie to Chrom's expectant expression. I blinked a few times to clear my mind.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were eating anything." Chrom asked and smiled at my confusion.

"Oh. Well, I mean I ate already," My words were tangled up and I pointed at the empty plate in front of me.

"Here, you want some more?" Chrom asked, and he pushed one of his plates toward me. I was acutely aware of a few eyes on me.

"Er, Chrom, I'm good, really." I replied. Chrom gave me a stubborn look, which I matched with and equally unwavering expression.

"I can't have you getting malnourished," Chrom pushed. Now I noticed the majority of the table was trained on our conversation. My cheeks erupted into flames.

"Chrom," I leaned in a bit closer, "Everyone is looking." Chrom took a quick look at the table. The Shepherds promptly returned to what they were doing and tried to act natural. Chrom looked a bit uncomfortable. I went silent and pulled on my sleeves.

"Nice weather we're having, eh? It would be a shame if it rained," Chrom cleared his throat. Breakfast passed without another word between us. Breakfast disbanded amiably for the rest of the Shepherds. I managed to disappear into the crowd and escape to a grove of trees by our encampment.

I leaned against a tree and tried to breath. First, it was Chrom sneaking into my tent and then his doting behavior at breakfast… It was becoming almost impossibly difficult to keep our relationship secret.

_ How much longer will we be at war?_

I slid onto the grass and started pulling at a few blades of grass. I followed a sweet smell and came face-to-face with the pleasantly scented flowers of a Hylantree. I would have to point the clerics into this direction; our herb supplies were running low. Hylantree blooms are great for reducing a fever. A shook my head at the blooms. This situation was almost too much for me. My skills began and ended on the battlefield. I knew stupid facts about herbal remedies or how to properly defend an armed fortress. However, when it came to a relationship, I was dreadfully unprepared. Solving a tactical problem did not give me a headache like thinking about my relationship did.

Rubbing my sore temples, I watched the shadows play through the leaves. I yawned and gazed at the morning sun through the leaves. The light felt wonderfully warm on my face and it intensified my drowsiness. I snuggled against the unyielding trunk of a thick tree. Before I knew it, I was drifting into a light sleep.

I awoke to a huge crashing sound that seemed to rattle the trees to their roots. I almost jumped out my skin and I shakily got to my feet. As my pulse subsided, I realized I had only been startled by the onset of a storm. I stretched my slightly achy body as a quieter thunderclap echoed through the sky.

"I wonder if I slept through the tactics meeting." I pondered aloud. I felt a droplet of water hit my nose. In seconds, a chorus of raindrops began to bounce off the leaves. I breathed in the moist air and listened to the musical raindrops. Then, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered as the heavens fell in a heavy torrent of water. In mere seconds, I was soaked to the bone. I sprinted out of the protection of the trees and an even heavier onslaught of rain hit me. I skidded towards the tactics tent and almost landed in a muddy puddle. I ducked into the tent and a gust of wind and rain followed me in. In the time it took my eyes to adjust to the light of the tent, a huge puddle had formed at my feet. Chrom, Frederick, Basilio, and Flavia were waiting around a large table in the middle of the room.

"Am I late?" I asked. I pulled my drenched bangs out of my face and wrung out my ponytail. Chrom hopped out of his seat.

"Not at all," Chrom replied. In a flourish he removed his cape, "But you must be freezing." Chrom removed my coat without a thought and wrapped me in his warm cape. He hung my coat over the fire burning in the back of the room.

"I'm alright." I tried to convince him, but the water sloshed loudly in my shoes. I took my seat at the table. My cheeks were aflame, but I did not want to give up a source of warmth. Basilio took one look at me and laughed.

"You look like a wet cat." He laughed. Frederick immediately piped in over his chortles.

"Shall I get you some towels?" Frederick asked; he was already half way out of his chair.

"Look at her Frederick, the towels would be completely soaked by the time you get them here." Flavia scoffed.

"No thank you, Frederick." I added. Frederick hesitated, but returned to his seat. The four people around the table, turned to me expectantly.

"I was thinking about it, and I believe our left flank is over-manned…" As the five of us talked, I felt more at ease then I had in while. Chrom and I were a general and a tactician, and that was easy for me. If only our romance could be as simple. Maybe our relationship was not meant be more than friends... Or more than general and tactician. Even when I tried to rationalize it, I just could not go back to the way it was before. I was a tactician, for Naga's sake, there had to be a solution to my problem! I could not rest until I figured this out.

We strategized well past lunchtime. We decided to call it quits when we could hear Frederick's stomach growling.

"Please, don't stop on my account." Frederick pleaded bashfully.

"It's alright Frederick, we've covered enough for today." Chrom said with a lopsided grin on his face. Frederick tentatively agreed to cease the meeting. Basilio and Flavia left first. Frederick stayed to help Chrom and I clean up the papers. As we finished up, I removed my coat from over the fire.

"Practically dry," I grinned, "But I can't say the same for my socks."

The three of us exited the tent to find the sun back in the sky. The tents dripped calmly and the sunlight glazed over the puddles that littered the ground. Frederick and Chrom turned towards the dining tent, while I turned towards mine.

"Aren't you coming, Ophelia?" Chrom asked.

"I figured I would get something in my tent, since I need to change anyway." I shrugged.

"How am I supposed to make up for breakfast?" Chrom asked. I tried to smile. I fingered Chrom's ring perching openly on my finger. I wore the exalt ring to symbolize my bond with the Ylissean prince. No one had seemed to notice its conspicuous position on my left hand.

"You can try again at dinner." I met Chrom's eyes, and they sparkled at me. He nodded and left with Frederick trailing behind him. I started back through camp, but I got the peculiar feeling of being watched. I glanced around and saw a shadow disappear behind a tent. I tiptoed around the tent and discovered a familiar dark mage trying to merge with the shadows.

"Uh, Tharja, were you following me?" I asked. Tharja's face disappeared into the shade of her thick, dark bangs.

"… Yes." She admitted freely.

"Do you always watch what I do?" I inquired. A light pink color appeared on Tharja's face.

"Only to protect you," Tharja answered with a worried expression on her face.

"Well, Tharja, did you happen to see anyone around my tent this morning?" I hazarded. Tharja's eyes blazed with curiosity.

"This morning? I saw Chrom enter you tent." Tharja hesitated.

"Was anyone else around?" I asked a bit too eagerly. I could tell that Tharja was finding this all a bit odd, as if her being my stalker was more orthodox.

"No, I didn't see anyone else. Forgive me." Tharja said quietly.

"No, that's good!" I replied, "Thank you, Tharja. Could you please keep this between us?" I patted her shoulder. She nodded her head vigorously.

"Yes. Just tell me when, and I'll hex whoever you need me to." Tharja said. I smiled, but I did not find this to be a very comforting of a statement. I left Tharja in the shadows and returned to my tent. It was a relief to know that no one, other than hopelessly devoted Tharja, had seen Chrom. However, I still had a sinking feeling in my stomach. The idea of Chrom and I was just fine with me, great in fact. Nevertheless, when I put all the other factors into the equation, the sinking in my stomach grew.

There is only so much the tactician can get away with and I was certainly pushing the limits.

I stayed in for the rest of the afternoon. I ignored the Shepherds, Chrom, and all of my romantic problems and poured over my tactical tomes instead.


	3. Blackberry Pie

**Chapter 3: Ophelia**

At dinnertime, Chrom peeked his head into my tent.

"I'm here to escort you to dinner, milady." Chrom winked. He bowed and held out his hand to me. I stood up from my desk with a flourish and curtsied.

"Oh are you, milord?" I asked and I took his hand. Chrom lightly kissed my hand and placed it on his arm.

"I see you have finally learned how to treat a lady." I joked. Chrom reddened at the memory.

"I guess I have," Chrom replied, still embarrassed. He led me out of the tent and into the dusk light.

"At least the others won't see you blushing in this light." I teased and poked his cheek. He looked so adorable when he was self-conscious.

"Oh, they won't see, will they? Is that a challenge to make you blush as well?" Chrom slowly reached out and caressed my cheek. He brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My face immediately grew warm.

"Okay! You win, you win!" I cried and pulled away quickly. I pulled my arms against my chest.

"What happened to your good attitude?" Chrom asked, a bit hurt.

"They may not see your blush, but it's bright enough for them to see_ that_." I warned in a whisper. Chrom frowned at me, but did not try to touch me again.

"I'm sorry about breakfast. I was almost as doting as Frederick." Chrom said, daring a glance at me.

"It's okay, I'll just tell them war is making you lose your mind," I smiled at him, sniggering at my own joke.

"Gee, thanks." Chrom said sarcastically, but he laughed a bit too.

Outside the dining tent, Chrom stopped.

"Is something wrong?" I asked; I was almost inside the tent.

"Ophelia, will you come to my tent after dinner?" Chrom asked quickly. I looked quizzically back at him with my head titled to the side.

"It's important so I can't just talk to you out in the open." Chrom continued.

"Sure Chrom, I'll come over." I could tell he was serious and I was deathly curious about what we were going to talk about.

Dinner commenced as usual. Tonight, I found myself by Sully, Miriel, Maribelle, and Lissa. The four were having a hot debate.

"Haven't you read any of the legends, Sully? In every single one, the Prince's love for his princess makes him a hero!" Lissa argued. Maribelle agreed with her. Sully huffed angrily.

"I don't know how much longer I can listen to this," Chrom said with a smile, "I think I'll get seconds, I love when Olivia makes dessert." Chrom stood and hurried away to the desserts. I giggled at him, and swished the water in my cup. I only half listened to the girls' argument.

"I've never seen one damn guy make any decent decisions when he was in love," Sully countered, "You two are too damn naïve to realize."

"Oh really?" Maribelle and Lissa exchanged a mirrored look of skepticism. Sully thought for a moment.

"Ah! I've got an example. Take Chrom for instance," Sully started. I was suddenly very interested in their conversation. "He's a tough guy, right? But not if he's in love. He'd get his damn arm chopped clean off 'cause he was staring googly eyed at some girl."

"That wouldn't happen!" Lissa cried out. Miriel cleared her throat.

"My mother concluded in her studies, that amorous feelings in the opposite sex induce absentmindedness and forgetfulness. This could simply result in a soldier's demise on the battle field."

"That cannot be right!" Maribelle interjected articulately. Lissa pouted for moment because her side was obviously losing this battle.

"Come on Maribelle, we'll find a really good example and prove them wrong." Lissa said. Maribelle and Lissa hopped up and stormed away.

"They're funny, aren't they?" Sully laughed, "They don't understand how men are complete arses yet." Chrom returned just in time to hear Sully's last comment.

"I don't think that's really fair to say." Chrom pointed out. Sully shrugged.

"Sorry Chrom, I won't lie just for you." Sully replied. Chrom laughed and took his place beside me.

"I found a piece of blackberry pie; I know how much you like it." Chrom said to me. I could not look at him, so I played with my fork.

"I'm not feeling very well," I replied. The girls' argument had intensified the sinking feeling in my stomach to the point it was hard to breath.

"You do look flushed," Chrom pointed out.

"'I'm going to get some air, you can finish your dessert. I'll wait outside." I hopped up and fled from the dining tent.

I was acting as naïve as Maribelle and Lissa. Everything was whirling quickly around in my head, and I could not grasp onto any thought. Instead of sorting through my frenzied brain, I focused on breathing. The night air was pleasant and still had the sweet scent of rain. I wished for it to rain again, to maybe clean from my mind all of my doubts and concerns. However, my worries pierced through and had to be heard. Not only could an affair with a random girl he found in a field ruin Chrom's reputation, but love had no place on the battlefield. It never occurred to my how dangerous it was to be preoccupied with each other during such a dangerous time. Letting my mind wander for a moment on the battlefield... My mind raced back to the training exercise this morning.

I could not let Chrom get hurt.

After a few minutes, Chrom exited the tent and came over to me.

"Feeling better?" Chrom asked. He studied my face thoughtfully.

"A bit better," I lied, and I added a smile for good measure. Chrom looked pleased and easily believed me.

"Good! Are you ready to go?" Chrom grabbed my hand. I nodded and we headed to his tent. I could not bring myself to pull away; the idea hurt my heart. I rationalized that it was dark and most of the Shepherds were still at dinner.

"So what's this important thing we have to talk about?" I asked curiously.

"Be patient." Chrom urged with a playful smile. He led me into his tent. I took a seat on the corner of his bed. Chrom stood in front of me, looking a bit nervous. I wound my hands nervously into my coat and waited for him to speak.

"I've been thinking about you and me," Chrom said, blushing slightly. He patted his pocket, and began to blush harder, "Um, give me a second." Chrom turned away and started looking through his belongings. I stared down at my knees.

"I've been thinking too." I mumbled. Chrom nodded.

"Got it! Well, I was thinking about the ring I gave you," Chrom began. My stomach twisted.

"Chrom," I said. Chrom did not seem to hear me.

"It doesn't really suit you, so," Chrom pulled out a box with a flourish, "I got you another." Chrom's smile lit up the room, but I felt like my heart had just been plunged into the darkest night. "I picked it up in town one day when you weren't paying attention, it just seemed like you-"

"Chrom I can't wear your ring." I said, interrupting him. I could feel tears burning in my eyes.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chrom sat down next to me and took my hands.

"I don't think we can do this anymore," I said and was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Do you mean the secret engagement?" The happiness in Chrom's face had been replaced by sorrowful confusion. I nodded my head.

"Then it won't have to be secret anymore, Ophelia! My reputation doesn't matter when you're involved." Chrom squeezed my hands encouragingly.

"No," I cleared my throat and in a quick breath I said, "I mean we can't do any of this anymore. I mean this relationship" I pulled away from Chrom and I turned my head.

"You don't love me anymore?" Chrom asked slowly.

"We just shouldn't be together in these circumstances." I replied quickly. Chrom pulled my face back to his.

"You didn't answer the question." Chrom said in a low voice. I turned my eyes away. I could not bear to see his face.

"I don't think we should be engaged." I repeated, avoiding the question again. I just could not say something so far from what I felt. I knew if he only looked into my eyes, he would see that I was lying. Chrom stood up and turned away from me.

"If that's how you feel," Chrom said, his voice wavered.

I did not wait for him to say more. I dashed out of the tent and ran until I was safely in my tent. What I had done hurt so much, I could not even cry. My eyes burned and my throat tightened up. I collapsed onto my bed and gasped until I finally fell into something like sleep.

It was better this way. Without me, Chrom would be safe and that is all I could ever want. No matter how much it hurt me now, Chrom would be safe and he could be the Prince of Ylisse without a sullied reputation.

Love from a common tactician didn't matter anyway.


	4. The Disappearance

**Chapter 4: Ophelia**

I awoke with a cold sweat pouring off my skin. It took me a minute to realize where I was and what was happening. I hadn't remembered falling asleep, but the horrifying trace of a nightmare still hung over mind confirming my short lived slumber. I stayed still; hoping the pounding of my heart would subside. The melancholy events of this evening flooded back into my mind. Just thinking about them made me dizzy.

I slid out of the blankets and immediately started to shiver violently. I stood up, but my legs were weak and wobbled dangerously underneath me. The dizziness was overpowering, and it could have not just been from my memories. I stood still for moment and waited for the room to stop tumbling dangerously around me. I stumbled to my washbasin and splashed the freezing water over my face. The cold water intensified a dull ache in the back of my head into a roaring pain. I stared down at my quivering hands, but my eyes refused to focus properly. I put the back of my hand to my face. My forehead felt like fire and my fingers were painfully cold.

"A fever," I panted, "I guess this is what I get for getting caught in the rain." I wobbled out of my tent. The cold night air wrapped around me, but did little to relieve my spitting headache or my dizziness. I took a few tentative steps forward. With each step I took the rest of the tents around me seemed to grow farther and farther away. I eased myself back toward my tent and leaned on one of the supports. I took a deep breath to stop my shaking and I smelled the faint sweetness of the forest. A memory pierced quickly into my mind; I had seen a Hylantree this morning. Through my murky mind, I remembered I could brew tea to ease my fever away. I gripped the torch attached to my tent and, with some trouble, wrested it from its perch. Despite the logical part of my mind was screaming against it, I staggered into the shadowy forest.

The light from the torch parted the murky shadows around me; it felt like the shadows were skirting away from the flame. After a few minutes of walking sharp fear filled me stomach; I had no idea where I was. I spun around looking for a hint of a path or a familiar landmark. The trees followed my lead and began to swirl around me and blend together. I slipped in a puddle from the earlier rainstorm and dropped my torch. The light fizzled out immediately when it hit the wet ground. My head pounded when I bent to retrieve it and I was hit with a wave of dizziness. I fell the ground and clutched my head. I closed my eyes against the twirling world and slowly curled up into myself. The scent of the grass and the dirt was so overpoweringly strong I did not want to breath.

I felt the footsteps before I heard them. The trembling of the packed forest floor alerted me to the group that was approaching. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by feet and voices. Their lights bobbed around and their voices blended into something that sounded foreign and frightening. A bright torch was lowered to my face and I narrowed my eyes against the painful brightness.

"What do we have here?" A bearded and grimy man grinned maliciously down at me. He bent lower and studied my face. His warm and putrid breath swept over my face. I tried not to inhale.

"Eh, it looks like an Ylissean," On man pointed out. This man rummaged through my pockets and then let out a surprised breath.

"Look at the crest on her ring." The man with the torch grabbed my wrist and studied the ring. I was too weak to pull out of his grasp.

"Whoever she is, I'm sure she'll fetch a hefty penny." A third man laughed.

"Leave me alone." I said hoarsely. I weakly tried to get up. Right on cue, a large man hoisted me into the air.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you," He sneered. He flung me over his shoulder. I hung there like a limp doll. My head protested painfully and my vision was covered in black spots.

"The rest of you, follow that path, a village must be close by." The leader said. The group disbanded and I was left alone with two hulking men.

"Might as well take her jewels," The second man said. He grabbed my hand and removed my ring. Through my fading vision, I saw the brigand fumble with my ring and drop it in the thick grass. He cursed, but couldn't seem to recover it from the grass.

"Let's get a move on then," The man carrying me commanded, "You useless cur..."

We plunged deeper into the forest and, as my consciousness finally faded, I felt a tear slide down my cheek,

_"Chrom..."_

* * *

_**Chrom**_

It happened so fast, I was still unsure what had transpired. I heard Ophelia leave and, when I turned, she really was gone. Every muscle in my body tightened as all of my emotions began to sink in. In a flash of metal, I unsheathed Falchion and began to slash anything I could see.

"Why did I let her go so easily?" I destroyed the bedside table and part of a chair.

"I don't even know why she left!" I flung Falchion away and staggered over to my bed. The ring box was heavy in my hand.

"Why am I such a fool?" With a snap of my wrist, the box flew into a far corner of my tent. I clutched my head in my hands and tried to contain the fury and the sorrow.

"I need to talk with her." I tried to get to my feet, but my legs felt like they had been turned to stone. I stayed firmly in place as my mind battled with itself. Part of me wanted to run to Ophelia and beg her to come back; the other side of me hoped I would never have to see her face again. I did have the power; I could have Ophelia removed in an instant. I would never have to be reminded of my folly ever again.

However, I knew the Shepherds would suffer without her tactical genius.

How could I have allowed myself to fall in love so easily and with a girl I hardly knew? I should have foreseen it never working, but why did it feel so alien to think of being without her?

_I really have been a fool._

Frederick flew into my tent and brought me back to reality. I couldn't guess how long I had been staring blankly at the floor. I looked grimly up at Frederick, he was out of breath and deathly pale. His night clothes peeked out from under his armor and he was wearing a thin pair of slippers instead of shoes.

"Frederick!" I stood up hurriedly.

"Milord, we're under attack," Frederick puffed. He glanced at me fervently and then at my destroyed room.

"What's happened, milord? Are you hurt?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." I replied coldly. I grabbed Falchion, relishing in the idea of destroying something else. Frederick's worried expression grew deeper, but he said nothing more. We rushed outside to face the ruffians. Once the brigands realized they were devastatingly outnumbered, they began to flee. One let out a loud whistle and every one of them disappeared back into the trees.

"Damn brigands, they're just cowards looking for some easy gold." Frederick muttered angrily. I cracked my knuckles; I wished I had been able to fight them, to extinguish this horrible feeling overtaking my chest.

"Make sure everyone's alright," I told Frederick. He nodded and immediately began to take stock of the Shepherds. I glanced around our camp, and it appeared everything was still in good condition. We had caught the brigands off guard with our size and they had not had time to ransack any of our goods. I glared up at the starry sky, and wondered if I should go to Ophelia. She would know how to handle something like this. She would spot anything out place and she would know where to go from here. I shook my head; my throat was too tight to breath. She probably did not want to see me anyway; she had not come out to fight off the ruffians. That was slightly uncharacteristic of the army's usually fearless tactician. I realized sickeningly, that it was probably my fault.

Frederick returned promptly, but he looked distressed, "We can't find Ophelia, Chrom." My breath caught painfully in my throat.

"Tell everyone to start looking immediately." I managed to sputter. Frederick turned and started barking orders to anyone in earshot.

_She could be wounded. She could have been killed_

The feeling in my chest tightened at the thought. I sped to the forest edge, my sinister thoughts spurred me into a full out run.

"Ophelia!" I called repeatedly, but I heard no answer. I covered the perimeter of the camp, only to find other Shepherds searching as well. By the time my throat had grown too weary to continue the search, I arrived back at Ophelia's tent.

_I'm sure she is waiting for me, I'm sure of it." _I told myself, not believing it for one moment.

I quickly peered inside, but the tent was ghostly quiet and completely empty. I returned back into the cloudless night and glanced around. I looked for anything out of place, anything that could give me a clue. I took a step forward and foot dipped into a relatively fresh footprint. From the low light, I could tell they belonged to a woman. I scrambled for the torches by Ophelia's tent and found one of the stands was empty. I pulled the other torch from its base and held the flame close to the ground. The footprints led from Ophelia's tent, so they must have belonged to her. With my heart thumping loudly in my ears, I travelled Ophelia's course into the forest. Deep into the eerily quiet wood, I found the end of her path. It looked as if she had slipped and fell. I found an extinguished torch laying in a shallow puddle nearby. I crouched down and noticed immediately the multiple pairs of footprints that surrounded Ophelia's marks. My heart beat quickened; Ophelia's prints did not appear to continue anywhere in the immediate area.

_Could the ruffians have carried her away? _

I knelt down and studied the ground. As far as I could tell, there were no signs of a struggle.

I never realized how out of sorts I was without Ophelia. It had become second nature to make decisions with Ophelia's help. When I was too excited, Ophelia kept me level headed. What would she do if someone was missing? She would quickly figure out where they were taken and formulate a plan to get them back. I brushed the sweat from my forehead, the feeling in my chest threatened to overtake me.

Not only was her tactical skill missed, but her emotional stability under pressure kept all of us calm. There was a gaping hole left in her place. I should not have been so dependent on her, but, I admitted grudgingly, I really did not have many other choices.

I shook my head, tired of feeling so pitiful and useless. I wanted to prove I did not need her, _I wanted to prove I could save her on my own._

I glared at the torch, when a glint in the grass caught my eyes. I scurried over and picked up the object. I flipped it over in my hand and discovered it was my exalt ring; the ring I had given Ophelia.

"Damn it, Ophelia" I moaned.

She was not going to make this easy.

* * *

Sorry for the slight delay of this chapter!

Thanks for reading!


End file.
